As an international consortium of civil society organizations, champions, survivors, and grassroots representatives united in a singular mission to support the abandonment and prevention of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), we (the Global Platform for Action to End FGM/C) express our profound concern over the attempts to repeal the law banning female genital mutilation (FGM) in The Gambia.
This law represents a critical safeguard for the rights, health, and well-being of girls and women in The Gambia, and its repeal is a direct threat to the hard-won progress made in protecting them from this form of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
We stand in unwavering solidarity with the local activists in The Gambia who work tirelessly to uphold the ban on FGM, championing the rights and well-being of women and girls in their communities. We call on the Gambian authorities to honour their commitments under international and regional human rights instruments and reject this harmful Bill.
It was powerful to witness the outpouring of international support for upholding the FGM ban. For further details, statements and speeches, please refer to the list below:
Collation of Regional and International Statements in support of upholding the law on FGM in the Gambia
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OIC Statement on 6th February 2024: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation - Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) “considers that harmful practices like FGM are mere traditional customs without any proven religious sanction. On the contrary, the Islamic principles and values categorically condemn such practices and strongly advocates adopting legal and administrative measures to comprehensively eliminate these practices not only as a religious imperative but also for achieving equality, equity, social justice, and sustainable development.” The Commission calls on governments, civil society, religious leaders, and communities to redouble their efforts in raising awareness, providing education, and implementing legal measures to end all harmful practices, including FGM.
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United Nations Secretary-General statement on 8th March 2024: “It is intolerable that over 4 million girls around the world are at risk of female genital mutilation each year. I am outraged by the parliamentary initiative in Gambia to legalize this horrific practice. I strongly appeal for this proposal to be rejected.”
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European Parliament, Joint Motion for a Resolution on the proposed repeal of the law banning female genital mutilation in The Gambia: “The European Parliament…. Urges the Gambian Parliament to demonstrate its commitment to international human rights law and multiple international and regional agreements to which The Gambia is a signatory, to protect the rights of women and girls, and therefore to reject the proposal and uphold the criminalisation of FGM…. Calls on the Commission and the European External Action Service to urgently and systematically address the issue of FGM with the Gambian authorities in coordination with international partners.”
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Communication by United Nations Mandates of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences; the Special Rapporteur on the sale, sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children; the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls on 8th April 2024: “Female genital mutilation is a grave form of violence against women and girls that is mainly motivated and perpetuated by gender inequality and discriminatory sociocultural norms. It has long-term negative effects on women and girls’ enjoyment of a range of human rights and poses a serious obstacle to achieving meaningful gender equality. We urge your Excellency’s Government to ensure that traditional, historical, religious or cultural attitudes are not used to justify discrimination against women and girls and violations of their human rights. In addition to the backtracking that the intended amendments would result in the rights of women and girls in the Gambia, it would set a dangerous global precedence of Governments facilitating female genital mutilation, instead of directing resources to the prevention of and protection from the practice.”
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Joint Follow-Up Press Statement by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child over the Ongoing Debate on FGM and proposed Women’s (Amendment) Bill 2024 on 4th March 2024: “The ACHPR and the ACERWC are deeply concerned that the lifting of the ban against FGM in The Gambia would reverse the progressive legal measures established in the Women's Act of 2015, and would also be in violation of the rights enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights ( African Charter), the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (the Children’s Charter), to which The Gambia is a State Party.”
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Statement by The Council of Traditional Leaders of Africa (COTLA), African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) Nigeria Chapter And Women’s Rights Organisations Under The Auspices of Womanifesto, on The Repeal of The Women’s Amendment Act (2015) Prohibiting FGM in The Gambia: “... COTLA stands in absolute solidarity with human rights actors in The Gambia calling on the Government to uphold and maintain the existing ban on FGM… As leaders whose jurisdiction crosses both religious and cultural domains, we vehemently reject the position of the Private Member’s Bill and echo the voices of our sisters and brothers in The Gambia reiterating that no holy text provides any justification for female genital mutilation. In fact, both Islam and Christianity uphold the sanctity of the human body – opposing harm to the body – we recall that this was a basis for the 2015 ban on FGM and therefore use this medium to underscore the absence of scriptural ground for the practice of female genital mutilation. FGM is not a religious obligation.”
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United Nations in the Gambia Statement on 23 February 2024: “The repeal of the 2015 Act, a vital legal instrument, would reverse gains made regarding the wholesome protection of the rights of women and girls, and would contravene The Gambia’s obligations under international human rights law and continental policy documents..”
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Statement by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem on efforts to repeal the ban on female genital mutilation in the Gambia on 17th April 2024: “Turning the clock back to legalize FGM in the Gambia would deprive women and girls of their rights and be an unprecedented step backwards. It would violate numerous international and regional agreements the country has signed, including the 2012 United Nations General Assembly resolution against female genital mutilation, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. Moves in one country also risk emboldening others to try to renege on their duties to protect the rights of women and girls.”
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World Health Organization Statement by the Regional Director on the attempt to repeal the law banning female genital mutilation in The Gambia: “Evidence shows that FGM has no health benefits. Instead, it causes harm, including poor wound healing, mental health issues, gynaecological and urological complications, stillbirths, increased obstetric intervention such as episiotomies and cesarean sections, and maternal morbidities like prolonged labour, obstetric tears, and bleeding during childbirth. Some people still believe that by medicalizing or having a health worker carry out FGM, they are preventing harm. However, FGM is a harmful practice regardless of who performs it, and there is no medical justification for performing it.”
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Joint statement by UNICEF Representative in The Gambia, Nafisa Binte Shafique, and UNFPA Representative in The Gambia, Ndeye Rose Sarr on 22nd March 2024: “The proposed repeal of the ban on FGM, referred to as female circumcision in the 2015 Women’s (Amendment) Act, is a severe violation of human rights, and a setback in the global fight against gender-based violence. This move not only disregards the immense suffering experienced by survivors of FGM, but also undermines the progress made in raising awareness, changing attitudes, and mobilizing communities to abandon this harmful practice. It sends a message that the rights and dignity of girls and women are expendable, perpetuating a cycle of discrimination and violence that has no place in a just and equitable society.”
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Statement by Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union on 3rd April 2024: “As the world’s leading alliance committed to the health and well-being of women, children and adolescents, including the most vulnerable, the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) expresses profound concern over the proposed repeal of the law banning female genital mutilation (FGM) in The Gambia. This concern is echoed by the IPU, the global organization of national parliaments, striving for a world where democracy and parliaments are at the service of the people for peace and development.”
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World Medical Association Council Resolution Calling for the Immediate Withdrawal of the Bill lifting the Ban on Female Genital Mutilation in Gambia: “Reiterating that all forms of FGM constitute a violation of the human rights of girls and women and that its practice can lead to permanent damage to health, including chronic pain, infections, difficulties during childbirth and even death during or after the mutilation, the WMA Council urges the Gambian authorities to: Respect their international human rights obligations, in particular the Maputo Protocol on Women’s Rights in Africa, and therefore immediately withdraw the bill lifting the ban on female genital mutilation; Instead, reinforce its legislation for the elimination of FGM with adequate funding and a comprehensive set of policies to empower women and girls to exercise their human rights.”
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Statement of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) on the Overturn of the ban on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in The Gambia on 25th April 2024: “The AWLN, through its patron, Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, urges the Government of the Gambia to remain steadfast in its commitments to African and global standards of human rights and to reject any legislative amendments that would allow the practice of FGM to continue.”
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Joint Statement by 180 Civil Society Organizations from Gambia and across the globe on 5th October 2023: “The Association of Non-Governmental Organizations in The Gambia (TANGO), the Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices affecting the Health of Women and Children (GAMCOTRAP), and the Network Against Gender-Based Violence (NGBV) are joined by 178 civil society organizations from across The Gambia and around the world in co-signing this open letter urging the Government of the Republic of The Gambia to stand firm in its commitments to protect women and girls by upholding the law prohibiting female genital mutilation (FGM).”
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National Human Rights Commission of the Gambia Press Statement on 27th February 2024: “While the Commission recognises that FGM/C is a complex and emotive issue and people have the right to practice their culture and religion, it is universally accepted that these rights are not absolute and cannot be invoked to violate human rights…The Commission wishes to again remind the Government of its obligations to respect, protect and fulfil the rights of women and girls, to vigorously enforce the Women’s (Amendment) Act 2015, to put in place educational and other measures towards the full abandonment of FGM/C in the country and implement the 2022 Concluding Observations of the 6th CEDAW Periodic Report.”
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Statement by Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security policy/Vice-President of the European Commission: ‘Following nearly two decades of dictatorship, The Gambia has presented a positive story since it returned to democracy in 2017. It has demonstrated a commitment to defending Human Rights and multilateralism with the United Nations at its core. It has voted in solidarity with Ukraine. It has been at the forefront of many Human Rights battles, including the Rohingyas in Myanmar. It is a respected member of the United Nations Human Rights Council. In this positive context, the Bill to repeal the ban on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), suggested by an independent National Assembly Member, casts a shadow over the reputation of The Gambia.’
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Human Rights Watch “The Gambian government’s consideration of a bill reversing the ban on FGM is deeply troubling for women’s rights,” said Mausi Segun, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The proposed law would legitimize FGM in the country and could encourage similar measures elsewhere on the continent, undermining the progress made in protecting girls and women from this harmful practice.”
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Amnesty International: “This bill would set a dangerous precedent for women’s rights and tarnish Gambia’s human rights record. We urge parliament to vote against it. “It is very disappointing that after the long fight Gambian activists put up to advance women’s rights, parliament is preparing to consider this backward move,” Michèle Eken, Amnesty International’s West and Central Africa Senior Researcher.
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International Bar Association
‘The Maputo Protocol is based on the CEDAW [the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women] but it makes it appropriate for the African continent because it mentions culture’, Mionki says. ‘The protocol makes it quite clear that we are not going to use religious values as a smokescreen. It says that culture is a positive thing but that we must eliminate harmful practices. One of those is FGM, which the protocol is unequivocal about: it’s a harmful practice.’ Judy Mionki African Regional Forum Liaison Officer, IBA Human Rights Law Committee
We urge lawmakers in The Gambia to prioritise the protection of human rights and uphold their obligations under international conventions by retaining the ban on FGM. We call on the Gambian National Assembly to reject this dangerous bill and send a clear message that the rights of Gambian women and girls will not be compromised.”
‘We are an international coalition of women's and human rights organizations and are writing to you today with an urgent plea to uphold the current legal ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) in The Gambia. We, the undersigned organizations, have been campaigning for human rights for years, many of us specifically on gender-specific issues and female genital mutilation. Some of us also work together with representatives of the Gambian diaspora and Gambian activists, who have brought the current events to our attention. With this open letter, we are therefore responding to a request for support from advocates of the existing ban and want to express our full solidarity with them.’
‘As the National Assembly of The Gambia will soon enter the second ordinary session of the year to discuss, among other things, the alarming repeal of the ban on FGM, End FGM EU is deeply worried about the potential reversal of the ban and its dreadful consequences on the lives of millions of individuals in The Gambia and the world. This would result in severe violence against the rights of women and girls, depriving them of the layer of protection that the ban on FGM offers and will have a significant impact on the global movement to end FGM.’
“More civil society organisations (CSOs) have joined the call for the rejection of the proposed Women’s (Amendment) Bill 2023 which is aimed at lifting the ban on female genital mutilation (FGM) in The Gambia. Another group of CSOs comprising Female Lawyers Association The Gambia (FLAG), The Gambia Bar Association, and The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (GAMCOTRAP) Wednesday engaged the National Assembly Joint Committee of Health and Gender on a consultative meeting about the aforementioned bill. FLAG president Ms. Anna Njie said they oppose the proposed private member’s bill because repealing the anti-FGM law will not only weaken national protections for women and girls but also exposes The Gambia to legal challenges and potential loss of international support. As an institution, she said they recommend the upholding of the FGM law. Njie highlighted four key recommendations from the policy brief presented to the joint committee for consideration. One is for the committee to reject the proposed FGM Bill and uphold the integrity of the anti-FGM law in alignment with constitutional, national and international obligations.”
“As a survivor of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), born and raised in The Gambia, a Serahule and a proud Muslim, my journey has been one of pain, resilience, and unwavering determination, but also recognizing my roots and the challenges that comes from speaking up, especially if you are a woman and more especially if you are one from my own group. Today, as I reflect on the challenges that lie ahead, I am compelled to raise my voice in defense of the progress that has been made in protecting our daughters, our sisters, and our future generations. I am convinced that more than ever today, FGM must end with our generation. This has been my position and I have invested my own efforts to raise awareness by sharing my own experience and helping bring the issue to the public agenda.”
Statement Signatories:
End FGM Canada Network, End FGM European Network, Equality Now, Orchid Project, Sahiyo, The Girl Generation, The US End FGM/C Network
